Sports Insider Podcast

What makes Bowls such an addictive & accessible sport?

I'm joined by medal-winning England player Lorraine Kuhler, Alistair Hollis, the Head of Sport Development at Bowls England, and Rob Short, who has recently joined the organisation as the new Head of Communications, to find out -

What makes Bowls such an accessible sport?
What does it take to reach the top of the sport?
What exciting plans do Bowls England have in place to capitalise on the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham?

Links -

Bowls England - Find A Club - www.bowlsengland.com/find-a-club/
Bowls England - Commonwealth Games 2022 - www.bowlsengland.com/birmingham-2022/
The Miracle Shot - www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4ohG2I0NA8

To follow the show, get in touch and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider & Twitter (@Podcastinsider) or contact duncan@sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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What makes Water Polo such an exciting sport?

I'm joined by Professor Toby King, Chair of Water Polo England, to find out more about this fantastic sport. I find out;

Where is the sport played currently across England?
How has Toby progressed from playing at school, clubs and universities to leading the sport's development?
How is Water Polo England attracting more people into the sport?

Links -

England Water Polo - www.waterpoloengland.org
Swim England – Water Polo Hub - www.swimming.org/waterpolo/ (NGB for Water Polo)
Toby King - www.swimming.org/waterpolo/toby-k…hip-group-chair/

To follow the show, get in touch and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider & Twitter (@Podcastinsider) or contact duncan@sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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What does it take to become a top Basketball player and coach?

I'm joined by Steve Bucknall, the first Englishman to play in the NBA, and current Performance & Technical Manager at Basketball England and Head Coach of London Thunder, and by Karl Brown, Director of Basketball at Leicester Warriors.

Steve and Karl both had fantastic careers playing for England, Great Britain, in America and across Europe, and now work in coaching and developing future talent at their clubs. I find out;

How did they develop from playing in England to competing in the US?
What does it take to succeed as a top player and a coach?
How are they inspiring new talent at their clubs?

Links -

Basketball England "Find a Court" - www.basketballengland.co.uk/court-finder/
Basketball England Talent Pathway - www.basketballengland.co.uk/talent/talent-pathway/
London Thunder Basketball - thunderbasketball.net/
Leicester Warriors Basketball - www.leicesterwarriors.com/

To follow the show, get in touch and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider & Twitter (@Podcastinsider) or contact duncan@sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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What does it take to reach the pinnacle of Gymnastics?

I'm joined by Scott Hann MBE, the Director of Coaching at South Essex Gymnastics Club, and Max Whitlock’s coach. He has helped gymnasts win 43 medals at European, CWG, World and Olympics, including 5 Olympic medals & 3 world titles. I find out;

What does it take to become a champion gymnast?
How has Scott developed grassroots gymnastics at his club?
How does positive coaching help to develop athletes?

Links -

South Essex Gymnastics Clubs - www.southessexgymnasticsclub.com/
British Gymnastics - www.british-gymnastics.org/
Scott Hann MBE - www.southessexgym.co.uk/scottmbe/

To follow the show, get in touch and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider & Twitter (@Podcastinsider) or contact duncan@sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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What makes Handball such an exciting and fast growing sport?

I'm joined by Holly Luke, an international player from Stroud Handball Club, Chris Smith, Elected Non-Executive Director, and Mike Bain, the CEO, of England Handball, and top coaches Agi Foeglein of Cambridge Handball Club, and Ilona Loewnau of Shropshire Handball Club. to find out -

What makes Handball so enjoyable to take part in?
How has the sport capitalised on London 2012?
What does it take to become a top Handball player?

Links -

England Handball - www.englandhandballcom
England Handball - "Why Play Handball" -www.englandhandball.com/play-the-game…play-handball

Clarification - please note at 49:27 it is stated that 4 clubs took part in England Handball competitions pre-2012, which rose to 15 by 2015 - it was 9 clubs that took part in England Handball competitions by 2015, and 15 clubs that offer community handball.

To follow the show, get in touch and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider & Twitter (@Podcastinsider) or contact duncan@sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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What is Real Tennis - and what makes it so unique and enjoyable?

I'm joined by World #15 Josh Smith, Top Ladies Player Lesley Ronaldson, and Giles Doy of the Royal Tennis Court at Hampton Court Palace, to find out -

What makes Real Tennis so unique as a sport?
What does the role of a Professional entail?
What does it take to reach the top of the game?

Links -

The Royal Tennis Court - https://www.royaltenniscourt.com/
Tennis & Racket Association - https://www.tennisandrackets.com/
YouTube - "Epic Real Tennis Rallies" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VBgq2S3J28

To follow the show, get in touch and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider & Twitter (@Podcastinsider) or contact duncan@sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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What makes Three Sided Football such an exciting and unique version of the beautiful game?

I'm joined by Ben & Owen from ThreeSidedFootball.com to find out -

Who created the Three Sided version of the game?
What makes it so unique and tactical?
How do alliances and diplomatic skills lead to footballing victory?

Links -

ThreeSidedFootball - www.threesidedfootball.com
Three Sided Football - Is This The Future? www.youtube.com/watch?v=W64ySTJg1j0
Discovering Three Sided Football - www.si.com/more-sports/2011/11/30/3-teammatch

To follow the show, get in touch and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider & Twitter (@Podcastinsider) or contact duncan@sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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What makes Pickleball such an addictive, inclusive and exciting sport?

To find out, I'm joined by Louis Laville & Thaddea Lock (the UK's #1 players), Karen & Chris Mitchell from Pickleball England, and Sam Basford, a top player, coach and director.

I find out -

What is Pickleball, and what makes it so addictive?
Why is Pickleball growing so rapidly?
What does it take to reach the top of the sport?

Links -

Pickleball England - www.pickleballengland.org
Thaddea & Louis’s final - English Open 2019 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=17VaOFWG2Xc&t=96s
The best point of the English Open 2019: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpgZlBnO1tQ

To follow the show, get in touch and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider & Twitter (@Podcastinsider) or contact duncan@sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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What is it really like sliding head-first down an icy track at over 90mph?

In this episode I'm joined by GB athletes Patrick Atkin and Matt Weston, who compete in the fast and exciting sport of Skeleton, to find out -

How did the "Discover Your Gold" programme lead them to the sport?
How has the GB Team managed to be so successful without a home track?
What was it like competing in the World Championships?

Links

British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association - www.thebbsa.co.uk/the-bbsa/
Discover Your Gold Programme - www.uksport.gov.uk/our-work/talent-id

To follow the show, get in touch and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider & Twitter (@Podcastinsider) or contact duncan@sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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     What makes next year's Rugby League World Cup so exciting for the sport?

In this episode I'm joined by three key people from the upcoming Rugby League World Cup, taking place next year in England. I spoke to Jon Dutton, the competition’s CEO, Tracy Power, the Legacy Director, and James Simpson, who plays for Leeds Rhinos and will be competing for England, to find out -

What makes this World Cup unique for the sport?
How excited is James to compete within a home World Cup?

What legacy plans does the tournament have to grow Rugby League?

Links

 RLWC 2021 Website - www.rlwc2021.com

RFL Website - www.rugby-league.com/the_rfl

 To follow the show, get in touch and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider & Twitter (@Podcastinsider) or contact duncan@sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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What is Bike Polo - and what makes it a great sport?

In the third series, I chat to experts and athletes from extreme and unusual sports. In the final episode, I chat to Max, Jesse, Ben and Matt from London Bike Polo to find out -

What is Bike Polo all about?
What makes it such a welcoming and inclusive sport?
How has Hardcourt Bike Polo grown in recent years in urban environments?

Links

London Fixed Gear & Single Speed - www.lfgss.com
London Bike Polo Facebook - www.facebook.com/londonbikepolo
London Bike Polo Instagram -www.instagram.com/londonbikepolo

To follow the show, get in touch and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider & Twitter (@Podcastinsider) or contact duncan@sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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How can mountaineering become open to all?

In the third series, I talk to experts and athletes from extreme and unusual sports. In the fourth episode I met Stuart Shipp, the founder of City Mountaineering to find out -

How has he made the UK's mountains accessible from the city?
Why are adventure sports growing nationally?
Why does he believe the UK's mountains are the best in the world?

Links

Website - www.citymountaineering.com/
Instagram - www.instagram.com/citymountaineering/
Facebook - www.facebook.com/CityMountaineering/

To follow the show, get in touch and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider & Twitter (@Podcastinsider) or contact duncan@sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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What makes rafting such an exciting sport?

In the third series, I talk to experts and athletes from extreme and unusual sports.

In this episode I chatted to Sean Clarke, Head of Media & Marketing at the International Rafting Federation to find out -

Who competes in rafting and how easy is it to learn?
Where are the best places to raft in the world?

Links

International Rafting Federation
www.internationalrafting.com, www.twitter.com/intraftfed, www.facebook.com/InternationalRafting/

British Rafting
www.britishrafting.com, www.facebook.com/britishrafting, www.twitter.com/britishrafting

To follow the show, get in touch and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider & Twitter (@Podcastinsider) or contact duncan@sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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What is Parkour - and why is it totally different to other sports?

In the third series, I talk to experts and athletes from extreme and unusual sports. In the second episode I speak to Dan Edwardes, founder of Parkour Generations, to find out -

How did Dan first get involved in the sport?
Why is it different from other sports?
How has Parkour Generations reached out to a wider community?

Links

Company channels:

www.parkourgenerations.com
www.facebook.com/parkourgenerations
www.instagram.com/parkourgenerations
www.twitter.com/pkgenerations

Personal channels:

www.danedwardes.com
www.facebook.com/danedwardes
www.instagram.com/dan_edwardes
www.twitter.com/danedwardes

To follow the show, get in touch and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider, Twitter (@Podcastinsider) and contact duncan@sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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Welcome to Series Three of the podcast! In the new series, I talk to experts and athletes from extreme and unusual sports.

In the first episode I chat to former British champion Tim Woolgar and Gavin Paterson from London Chessboxing and find out -

What is Chessboxing and why is it so exciting?
What attracts people to compete in the sport?
How do competitors prepare for a fight?

Links

St Patrick's Day Bash - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/st-patricks-…71?aff=WEBSITE
London Chessboxing – www.londonchessboxing.com
Twitch Stream - twitch.tv/londonchessboxing
Instagram - www.instagram.com/london_chessboxing

To follow the show, and find out about upcoming episodes, visit sportsinsiderpodcast.com, facebook.com/PodcastInsider & Twitter (@Podcastinsider)

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How can sport take a leadership role in sustainability?

In part two of this episode, I spoke to Russell Seymour, Sustainability Manager at Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) & Chief Executive of BASIS (British Association of Sustainability in Sport), and Chris Whitaker, Clubs and Facilities Manager at the ECB and Chair of BASIS.

I found out -

Why has sustainability become a key challenge for sport?
How will climate change and single use plastics affect sport?
What opportunities lie in collaboration across the sector?

For full shownotes and links from the episode, please visit www.sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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How can sport take a leadership role in sustainability?

In part one of this episode I spoke to two sailing organisations that are taking steps to ensure that the sport becomes more sustainable, using the power sport has to bring people together and reach global audiences to inspire positive change.

First of all I spoke to Oliver Beardon, the Founding Director of Sail Britain, and discovered -

What are the ecological challenges to the marine environment?
How is Sail Britain raising awareness of these issues?
How can we reconnect with the sea and safeguard it for future generation?

I then had a chat with Dan Reading, Sustainability Programme Manager at World Sailing, and found out -

How can World Sailing and its partners reduce their impact on the environment?
What did they learn from the Youth World Games?
What can governing bodies do to take a lead in this area within their sports?

For full shownotes and links from the episode, please visit www.sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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What is it really like working in and competing in Martial Arts?

First of all, I spoke to Abdullah Mahmood who at the time of recording was PR officer at British Judo. I asked him -

How is British Judo getting more people into the sport?
How will the sport continue to enjoy success at the top level in the future?
What impact does the media team have on top athletes?

I then chatted to Luke Smith, former British Kickboxing champion, and discussed -

How did he first get into the sport?
What has he been able to achieve within kickboxing?
What challenges does kickboxing have, and how will it grow in the future?

For full shownotes and links from the episode, please visit www.sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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How can sport help to provide social inclusion?

In this episode I speak to three fantastic organisations to find out how sport can help reduce social isolation and have a positive impact on people’s lives.

First of all I spoke to Steve McFadyen from The Alzheimer’s Society about the recently published Dementia Friendly Sport & Physical Activity guide, and how it will support people living with dementia to become more active.

I then chatted to Claude Umuhire from The Running Charity about the huge impact the organisation has had on his life. Whilst homeless himself, Claude joined and graduated the programme, providing him with drive and confidence, and inspiring him to share his experiences with others by becoming Programmes Coach for the charity.

Finally I met Tom Browne from the Bounce Alzheimer’s Therapy Foundation, who explained how their adapted table tennis equipment and coaching has helped people to get active, can reduce the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and provide inclusive activity for people living in care homes.

For full shownotes and links from the episode, please visit www.sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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How can sport get more women and girls active?

In this episode I spoke to women across the sports industry, both professionals and athletes, to find out what first brought them into sport and how they believe sport can get more women and girls active in the future.

First of all I spoke to Leigh Martin, London & South East Regional Team Leader at England Netball. She has played high level netball and basketball, coaches the sport and is currently studying a doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology. I found out -

Why is it a hugely exciting time for the sport this summer?
How are Back to Netball and Walking Netball getting more women active?
How does Leigh intend to help develop coaches in the future?

I then chatted to Jess Trimnell, club captain of AFC Wimbledon Ladies. The team currently competes in the FA Women's National League Division One South East. Jess told me -

What was it like competing for GB in the World University Games in China in front of packed crowds?
How has Jess supported AFC Wimbledon to develop women's and girls' football in recent years?
How are the FA working to grow the sport?

For full shownotes and links from the episode, please visit www.sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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In part two I talked to professionals within football to find out more about their stories, their highlights and challenges they’ve overcome within the sport.

I chatted to one of the youngest non-league football managers - Luke Smith, about how his kickboxing background led him into a coaching and managerial career at non-league football clubs. I found out -

How much commitment is required to become a successful football manager and coach?
How does Luke deal with challenges such as player confidence and availability?
How much pride does Luke take in seeing talented players progress within the game?

I then spoke to Matt Hudson, Media Manager at Colchester United FC, to find how he led the development of the media department at the club during a period of transition to a new stadium, whilst embracing new opportunities to engage fans. I discovered -

How has the football landscape changed during Matt's time in the game?
How has the media department helped engage more fans with the club?
How did the media team contribute to winning Family Club of the Year in 2015?

For full shownotes and links from the episode, please visit www.sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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In part two, I talk to two successful organisations that have grown activity within parks and urban areas in recent years.

First of all I spoke to Ross Cawood, Franchise Owner of London & NZ Last Man Stands Leagues, to find out -

How have they managed to grow evening cricket leagues globally?
How have they made their leagues work around busy lifestyles?
How have used technology to engage with their players and teams?

I then had a chat with Luke Thompson, GB Goalball Captain and coach at UK Wallball, who explained -

What makes Wallball the perfect sport for urban areas?
How have Luke's recent competitions progressed as he competes at the top end of the sport?
What plans do UK Wallball have to grow the sport in the next few years?

For full shownotes and links from the episode, please visit www.sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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What is it really like working and playing in professional football?

In this episode I talk to professionals within football to find out more about their stories, their highlights and challenges they’ve overcome within the sport.

In part one I spoke to professional footballer Cody McDonald, who has played as a striker for the likes of Norwich City, AFC Wimbledon and Gillingham. Cody is currently at Ebbsfleet United and still scoring regularly. He talks with great honesty about his career and I asked him -

What was it like moving to Norwich City FC and scoring on debut?
What were the challenges of becoming a professional footballer?
How did he succeed at Gillingham FC?

For full shownotes and links from the episode, please visit www.sportsinsiderpodcast.com

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In this episode we discuss Young Leaders in Cricket, a fantastic scheme that provides youngsters with the leadership skills and confidence to volunteer within their cricket clubs, schools and in their future lives. The programme has been running since 2010 and has rapidly grown across the South East and has ambitions to develop nationally.

To find out more, I attended the Awards evening, hosted at Lord’s on 8th October, which featured great stories from the youngsters that have taken part this year. I also talked to Chris Whitaker, the vice Chairman of Cricket Leaders, and Chris Rowley, Regional Youth Participation Executive about the achievements of the Young Leaders programme so far, the importance of volunteering in sport and their future plans.

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We talked to James Timmis about competing at a high level in marathons, triathlons and Ironmans. To put them in perspective, Ironmans consist of swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles and the running a full 26-mile marathon – so why would you want to take part?

Not only does James need to train extremely hard to compete in these tough events, he’s also had to cope with having Coeliac Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. These conditions make training and competing far more difficult, and we found out how he’s been able to deal with them and continue to perform well.

Show Notes:

What motivates James to take part in Ironmans? [2:07]
What training is needed to take part in an Ironman? [3:24]
What are Coeliac Disease and Ulcerative Colitis – and how has James coped with them? [7:19]
The hardest events that James has taken part in [9:53]
What future events is he taking part in? [13:17]

Significant quotes:

“The training experience is lonely. I try and do as much as I can with clubs, especially on the bike where it’s nice to be out with people when you’re doing 60-70 mile rides” [6:24]

“I’ve got to be a lot more prepared generally… I need to know what I’ll be eating during the ride. Gluten free stuff is on trend – a few years ago you didn’t stand a chance. Often when doing an event I’ll need to give them my own bars” [8:12]

“I’m always thinking why am I doing this… and trying to scratch around for reasons. I really enjoy the training aspect and having the races there as a goal is motivating. I enjoy being fit and healthy especially with my conditions, and overcoming those.” [11:18]

Best Out of Context quote:

5:10 “There’s lots of kicking each other in the face… it’s all about survival. There’s a risk of someone’s foot in my mouth”.

Sports Insider Podcast: Recent Episodes

Duncan Jenkinson